The City Council tonight will consider plans that could convert and old industrial area along Alameda’s northern waterfront to a commercial and residential district, as the city moves to capitalize on some of the Island’s prime real estate.

The 110-acre area in question is bounded roughly by Sherman Street on the west, Buena Vista Avenue on the south, Grand Street on the east and the Alameda-Oakland Estuary to the north.

Some say that action to convert old industrial facilities is a long time coming.

“The northern waterfront really needs to be developed,” said City Councilman Frank Matarrese. “We’ve waited a long time for this.”

At a 7:30 p.m. meeting today at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave., Matarrese and the other council members will consider amending the so-called Northern Waterfront General Plan so that areas currently zoned for industrial uses will be rezoned for commercial and residential uses.

Matarrese said the proposal was “superior” to keeping the area “strictly industrial,” because, he said, it will increase public access to the waterfront while maximizing the economic benefit of the area.

The proposal would affect: the 24-acre Encinal Terminal site, being used for storage and cleaning of freight containers; and the Grand Marina area, which includes the Alaska Packers building, the Alameda Animal Shelter and Corporation Yard and the Pennzoil warehouse; and would encompass the 56-unit Parrot Village at the end of Chapin Street, although no changes are planned there.

The linchpin to the area’s success may be the massive 235,000-square-foot brick Del Monte warehouse along Buena Vista.

It was built in 1927 as a warehouse and food-processing center for the Alaska Packers Co., later called Del Monte Foods.

Barbara Kerr, a former City Council member and close City Hall watcher, said she hopes that, whatever use is permitted, it will not flood surrounding streets with traffic congestion and parking problems.

“The street parking is already full,” she said. “We could just have people wandering around looking for parking if they don’t have adequate parking at the Del Monte building.”

No plans officially are on the books for a redevelopment of the Del Monte building, but, according to a city report, the building’s owner, Peter Wang, is planning on vacating it this summer to begin rehabilitation work.

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